Domaine du Thoré: Experiencing the Beauty of the Haut-Languedoc

The fourth and final week is upon us and students are simultaneously excited to come home and sad to leave. The last week will be filled with last-minute gift shopping and good-byes, but also one final week of French classes, community interactions, and our post-program STAMP test which will give students a glimpse of just how far they've come in these four weeks in terms of their French abilities. This past weekend was yet another Carcassonne / Domaine du Thoré weekend where students took the excursion that they didn't take during the first weekend in the country. Since we've already covered the Carcassonne itinerary, let's dive in to what students did at Domaine du Thoré. C'est parti!

Visite d'une ferme laitière (Dairy farm visit)

We start our weekend with a two hour bus ride east of Toulouse into the department of Tarn where vineyards and sunflower farms are plentiful. Also tucked away on one of the mountains is this small dairy farm which is home to just a little over 50 cows. Fourth-generation owner, Marie, starts by giving us an introduction to the history of the farm and the work they do there. Then, it's time to see the herd!

After visiting the herd, we followed them to the barn where we were able to witness milking (some brave students even tried their hand!) and sample some cheese that is made from the milk.  About half of the milk production from this farm is transformed into milk powder to be used in baby formula, so this farm really is a pillar of the community!

Domaine du Thoré

On Friday evening after the dairy farm, we check in at the Domaine du Thoré, an eco-lodge a couple kilometers away from the town of Labastide-Rouairoux which was once a powerhouse of the textile industry.

On Saturday morning, we went on the first of several hikes of the weekend. This one with our guide, Roger, who introduced us to some of the history of the town of Labastide Rouairoux using both the town's architecture and a reading of the landscape around the town.

We took advantage of the outdoor space at the lodge by having nearly all of our meals outside. The menu generally consisted of local specialties like le frésinat, a dish of pork, potatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs all cooked in duck fat.

We did more than just hike and eat, though! There were also a couple activities to help introduce us to the local cuisine and wildlife.

Bread-making

After lunch on Saturday, we got a chance to take part in making our own dinner! Students learned about the process of making bread and got the chance to make their own baguette that would accompany their dinner that night.

Pond and River Discovery

After putting our bread in the oven, we headed over to a couple of sources of water near the property to see what wildlife we could find and learn about it from a guide. We first visited a small man-made pond, then headed to a small stream behind the property where we found newts, tadpoles, small fish, water spiders, and a couple other exciting things.

La passerelle de Mazamet et village d'Hautpoul

After a bit of free time on Sunday, we left Domaine du Thoré and started for home, but we had one more activity for the weekend. We went to the town of Mazamet where there is a hiking trail that leads to a footbridge suspended over 200 feet in the air. On the other side of this bridge is the medieval village of Hautpoul.

Hautpoul is a fun little village that now functions solely based on tourism. It has plenty of souvenir shops that feature the craftsmanship that used to make the town's economy churn, woodworking, and, of course, ice cream for weary tourists.

As we begin our final week of the program, students will be called to reflect upon their experience and their progress over the past four weeks. However, there are still several days full of fun classes, excursions, time with host families, and, of course, final project presentations!